Nina's Swear-by Silk Utility Blouse

Whoever says you shouldn't buy items in multiples is wrong. Just plain wrong.

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While visiting my parents' house years ago, surfing through the channels on a lazy Sunday, I stopped on a "What Not to Wear" rerun just in time to catch host Stacy London aggressively wrestling five pairs of near-identical pants from a woman on the verge of tears. The message? One should "never own an item in multiples -- not even in different colors." The horror.

You can totally own an item in multiples. Enter my multiplier: this silk utility blouse by Vince Camuto. Lightweight, sophisticated and just as appropriate for the office as a night out, I own it in no fewer than four colors: Black, chartreuse, leopard print and white with black piping. I've worn them everywhere from my first day on the job to my own bachelorette party. It works especially well paired with a leather skirt, pencil or flared.

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The key to owning multiples is making sure the item is a time-tested classic, such as a well-tailored basic that suits your body and style (no crazy printed pants, please!). And if you're still in doubt, I offer you fashion icons Grace Coddington, Carolina Herrera and Karl Lagerfeld -- each of whom has a standard fashion uniform from which he or she rarely strays. If that's not a enough motivation for buying in bulk... I'm not sure what is.